President Obama Pops Ribera del Duero in Cuba

During his recent historic visit to Cuba, President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle and their two daughters (and a security gaggle) surprised a Havana restaurant owner by dropping in unannounced for some authentic Cuban food. Good, comforting cuisine was on the President’s mind, and there was also an attention to detail with his choice of wine. The restaurant’s name, San Cristobal Parador, struck a chord with the Commander in Chief, who ordered up a bottle of something similarly named: Conde de San Cristóbal from Ribera del Duero.

According to The Guardian journalist Lisa O’Carroll’s reporting, chef Mario-Calzado Frias whipped up his specialty dish of filet mignon for the President, paired with three sauces: mushroom, pepper and San Rafael sauce. Meanwhile, the First Lady dined on the “‘Havana Temptation,’ a beef with banana dish.” The two Obama daughters decided on pork entrees to round out the evening, and while the youngest two Obamas likely didn’t partake in the Conde de San Cristóbal, it’s a safe bet that it paired beautifully with the two beef dishes.

The President isn’t the only one with some affection for this Ribera del Duero wine. Earning 90 points in Wine Spectator, critic Tom Matthews described the Conde de San Cristóbal with this kind review: “Lively acidity drives bright flavors of blackberry, licorice, tar and smoke in this focused, energetic red. Light, firm tannins lend backbone, while citrus and smoke details linger,” he raved.

Upon hearing the news, Conde de San Cristóbal told us that “Obama’s visit to Cuba has also been historic for us. It was a surprise when we heard about the private dinner,” saying that the Presidential tasting “has had an incredible impact” on their profile. And, to make things even sweeter, “the restaurant informed us that Michelle Obama loved our wine,” they said.

Get more info on Conde de San Cristobal here, and click below to order yourself a bottle fit for a President.

And the President wasn’t done there. During a diplomatic dinner with Cuban President Raul Castro, their Cuban dish of roast pork with plantains was met with a wine pairing for the ages. The two Presidents enjoyed a bottle of the infamous Vega-Sicilia Unico — perhaps the most cherished and sought-after wine in all of Spain.

It’s good to be the President.

Featured Wineries

Conde de San Cristobal winery is owned by the prestigious business partnership Grupo Vinicola Marques de Vargas. The vineyards and winery are located close to Penafiel on the Pago de Valdestremero Estate, renowned for centuries for the excellent grape growing conditions. The philosophy of the partnership is consistent with that of its Rioja and Rias Baixas wines - to produce the highest quality wine, made from grapes grown on estate owned vineyards, in limited production.
This project gives the Grupo Vinicola Marques de Vargas a strong presence in the three most prestigious wine growing regions in Spain.

Vega Sicilia's ultimate goal is to become the global prestigious benchmark of a single culture based on the constant search for excellence, harmony with nature and endless meticulousness and dedication. This is all down to the work of an outstanding human team and principles and values that transcend the individuals, both of past and future generations, and that set the path to be followed.

It is the Vega Sicilia flagship. The qualities of the Tempranillo and cabernet sauvignon in different proportions are assembled to perfection in this wine. Each provides a differentiating factor that makes the wine great in every vintage. It offers an infinite complexity that is gradually revealed, in every sip, the palate immensely silky and elegant, and has an aging capacity that only a handful of wines in the world can claim.